Daniel Adeson was murdered at the front door of our parish in 2003. I woke up at 3:00 a.m. to the realization of the murder and that I had been sleeping through so many of the issues that our parish faces. I held a prayer service at 3:00 a.m. two weeks following the murder. The event was published on the front page of the Oregonian newspaper. The Catholic media picked up the story and it was published in several places in theUnited States.
Lorie Simmons from Liturgy Training Publications invited me to write about the experience. I wrote my first article. After that I started presenting ideas to Ministry and Liturgy Magazine. The editor accepted all my ideas and then I soon began writing a regular column. Chris Bannister was our front office manager at the time and edited my initial work. Sarah Gregory joined the parish and she has been editing all my work since 2005.
I now have published over 120 articles in various liturgical and pastoral magazines based on my experiences here connecting faith and service. The community has given me the inspiration, the faith and even the editors to cultivate my craft. My craft as a writer comes directly from the suffering and faith of people living in poverty. I have everything I need here as a writer and priest. I struggle to articulate people’s love for God in the midst of mental illness, addictions ands homelessness.
Broken But Not Divided 
I am inspired by Father Raab’s work with the marginalized. It underscores to me that we all have an obligation to address this issue, no matter our background, age or social status.
Twenty years ago, at the age of 60, I moved from Chicago to Seattle, answering a call to become a Jesuit Eldercorps member. I lived with five strangers, one a homeless woman who had been on the streets for three years. We each worked for a nonprofit serving the poor.
When my assignment was over, I began writing Opinion pieces for the Seattle Times and America magazine. The response was heartening and undersores to me that it is never too late to address these issues, regardless of our age or background.
Helen Donnelly Goehring
Bethlehem, PA (age 92)
hdg1964@rcn.com.
I have just come across your article. It confirmed my hope that I may serve better than ever ( more lovingly) for as long as the Lord gives me on this earth. ( I’m almost 72 now).